California's historic drought

Updated 8:15 PM ET, Wed July 23, 2014

Photos: California's historic drought13 photos

California's historic drought – This picture taken from a helicopter shows a drought-affected area near Los Altos Hills, California, on Wednesday, July 23. One of California's worst droughts in decades could cost the state's farmers $1.7 billion, a recent study warned. The drought could leave 14,500 workers without jobs in California's Central Valley, known as America's food basket for providing vast supplies of fruit, vegetables and meat.

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Photos: California's historic drought13 photos

California's historic drought – A woman walks her dog in San Francisco on Wednesday, July 16. Grappling with severe drought, California officials on Tuesday approved statewide emergency water restrictions.

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California's historic drought – A worker washes the sidewalk in front of a residential hotel in San Francisco on Tuesday, July 15.

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California's historic drought – A pedestrian walks by a sign posted in front of the lawn at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on June 18.

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California's historic drought – Residents photograph the burning ruins of their home that was destroyed in a wildfire in Carlsbad, California, on May 14. Drought conditions have fueled several wildfires across the state, fire officials said.

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Photos: California's historic drought13 photos

California's historic drought – Volunteers pack bags of oatmeal at the SF-Marin Food Bank in San Francisco on May 1. The longstanding drought has contributed to an increase in food prices.

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California's historic drought – Fingerling Chinook salmon are dumped into a holding pen as they are transferred from a truck into the Sacramento River in Rio Vista, California, on March 25. Low water levels have forced wildlife officials to truck more than 400,000 fish nearly 300 miles. They usually make the trip on their own.

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California's historic drought – A tractor plows a field in Firebaugh, California, on February 25. Almond farmer Barry Baker had 1,000 acres -- 20% -- of his almond trees removed because he didn't have access to enough water to keep them alive.

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California's historic drought – Plumbing technician Todd Snider installs an aerator at a home in Novato, California, on February 5. Residents have been installing water-saving devices in their homes to reduce their consumption.

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California's historic drought – A worker installs an artificial lawn in front of an apartment building in San Jose, California, on January 30.

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California's historic drought – A car sits in the dried and cracked earth at the bottom of the Almaden Reservoir in San Jose, California, on January 28.

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California's historic drought – Rocky shores are exposed by the low waters of Morris Reservoir on the San Gabriel River near Azusa, California, on January 22.

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Photos: California's historic drought13 photos

California's historic drought – California Gov. Jerry Brown holds a chart showing the statewide average precipitation during a news conference in San Francisco on January 17. The governor declared a drought emergency for the state, saying it is facing "perhaps the worst drought that California has ever seen since records (began) about 100 years ago."